EDitorial ± 16-Jun-2003
You Never Forget
Watching the new batch of 24 on BBC2? I made an executive decision that our household should duck out after the first three or four hours even though we'd stayed the course for the entire series one, up to & including mad Dennis Hopper's cameo. This time around couldn't get on with that family making the endless wedding arrangements, CTU Tony not having a goatee, and the ever more incredible scrapes in which Kim, the liability, found herself.
Me and Jack Bauer, needless to say, are from the same mould. Let's assess my Monday using one of the few gimmicks not already used by the makers of 24: we're doing it in reverse. Beep, beep, beep, beep, bee-bee-bee-beeeeeep.
| 18:00 | — | Arrive home perspiring mightily |
| 17:57 | — | Wave to traffic survey chaps as whizzing down Valley Road hill |
| 17:30 | — | Depart work on bike |
| 13:10 | — | Notice poster promoting Bike 2 Work week, starting today; grimace slightly |
| 12:30 | — | Call from garage seeking permission to investigate any damage caused by broken cam belt; may be expensive, they warn |
| 09:40 | — | Arrive work perspiring mightily |
| 09:15 | — | Wave to traffic survey chaps as panting up Valley Road hill |
| 09:10 | — | Depart home on bike |
| 09:00 | — | Depart garage on foot |
| 08:55 | — | Arrive garage in truck |
| 08:50 | — | Wave to traffic survey chaps as being driven back down Valley Road hill |
| 08:35 | — | Breakdown van appears on Dale Hall Lane; mechanic diagnoses cam belt within 30 seconds and begins attaching towing implements; warns of possible damage to valves |
| 08:32 | — | Call from breakdown service - where exactly are you? |
| 08:22 | — | Breakdown van drives by, not stopping, turning left into Henley Road |
| 08:10 | — | Chat to traffic survey guys; they're doing 7am-7pm shift |
| 08:02 | — | Various blocked motorists emerge to help push car out of box junction and into side street |
| 08:00 | — | Pulling away from lights at Valley Road / Dale Hall Lane junction, hear a not-good noise under car and motor dies; stranded in yellow box blocking traffic in three different directions; call breakdown service immediately |
| 07:58 | — | Queueing at lights, notice two gents doing a traffic count |
| 07:55 | — | Depart house in car |
| 07:30 | — |
Lovely day but decide not to bike since:
|
As my official Bike Week leaflet says, "for trips... in most urban areas, a bicycle is usually the fastest and always the most convenient door-to-door mode of transport". A truer word was never heard.
Be seeing you!
Ed
